Liverpool move to replace Jarell Quansah with Marc Guéhi - here’s a comparison

…and does Ibrahima Konaté deserve a bumper pay rise?

Written on 26/05/2025

In the past few days, there have been major developments in the news that Jarell Quansah will leave Liverpool and sign for Bayer Leverkusen. Reports also suggest that the Reds have inserted a buy-back clause in the deal, which would only be activated from the summer of 2027 onwards. This means the club are happy to see the young centre-back ply his trade in Germany for two seasons before deciding whether to buy him back. It also suggests that they believe the 22-year-old possesses sufficient quality to return to Anfield and become a regular starter in the future.

There are talks that Liverpool are eyeing up a move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi to replace the void left by Quansah in the squad, potentially. It is, in a way, to suggest that the club are looking for a centre-back who may not necessarily be in the first-choice partnership, but is good enough to compete for a spot alongside Ibrahima Konaté to partner Virgil van Dijk.

The other part of the story is that Konaté wants ‘improved pay terms’ before he decides to extend his stay at Anfield beyond next summer, with his contract expiring at the end of the 2025/26 season. At 26, the former RB Leipzig defender is entering the peak years of his career as a centre-back.

In this article, we’ll begin by analysing the possibility of Guéhi replacing Quansah in the squad and whether that would represent an upgrade. We’ll then delve into Konaté’s numbers to assess whether he’s deserving of a substantial pay rise. Alongside this, we’ll look at data visualisations featuring Guéhi and Konaté, highlighting their similarities and differences. The latter aims to explore what options Arne Slot might have should the pair end up competing for the same spot alongside Van Dijk at the heart of the defence.

Player Profile - Marc Guéhi

Guéhi is a product of the Chelsea Academy and spent 18 months on loan at Swansea City between January 2020 and May 2021. He then made a permanent move to Crystal Palace ahead of the 2021/22 campaign and has been a regular for the Eagles ever since.

The England international has made 132 Premier League appearances (155 in all competitions) for Palace and is currently the club captain. He has featured as a centre-back on either side of a back four and, more recently, as a wide centre-back in a back three under Oliver Glasner over the past 18 months or so.